On Monday morning, we passed along word that Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning had grown to accept that his arm might never be as strong as it once was. Manning still feels like he's in "rehab mode" in many ways.
"I don't really bring it up a lot, except when I'm asked about it," Manning told reporters Monday when asked about his arm strength. "I'm not sure if I'll ever get back -- I hope I'll get back to where I was before the surgery, but whether that's possible or not, I'm probably never going to know the answer to that until I stop playing. I'm never going to stop trying to get back to that point."
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Manning believes he has made improvements since a year ago. Wide receiver Demaryius Thomastold reporters Monday he thinks Manning's arm is a "little stronger." Manning says he has specific offseason goals he's trying to reach. Even though he survived his first full season back after neck surgery, he doesn't take anything for granted.
"I'm still in a get-stronger rehab mode, and I think I'll be that way for a pretty good while I believe," Manning said.
As fans, we almost take Manning's excellence for granted heading into this year. But he's 37 years old, an age past when most great players start declining rapidly. Manning and New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady have started to reset expectations for how well quarterbacks can play late into their career.
Follow Gregg Rosenthal on Twitter @greggrosenthal.
